Sad News -Hoku RW18 October 5, 2008

From DB Dunlap:

I've been dreading this moment all day, not knowing what my fingers were actually going to type out on to this screen. It hurts me to my very soul to have to tell you that we found Hoku (RW18) , R5AY's son, that some of you spent many days of your lives with at the Crawford's site, deceased , on the beach in Waimanalo at 1018 this morning. I had last seen him on Rabbit Island on 9-30-08 (5 days ago). Since he had a transmitter, we knew tht he'd done previous trips as far as the Moke's in Kailua, and had been sighted in near shore waters in the Waimanalo area (Kaiona Beach Park), so though I was concerned about his absence from Rabbit Island, I was not overly so.

The Billands had come to Makai Research Pier to visit and check the Rabbit Island gang, at 1000 this morning, and as they walked out the pier, just happened to overhear two fishermen talking about a dead seal on the beach in Waimanalo. They got the basics and then came to get me. We went to Kaiona Beach Park, and began checking the beach back toward the pier. Just a few doors down from "Magnum's House" we found Hoku (1018) on the beach, partially covered by sand, that I believe was tide related. The were no outward signs of trauma, and though I have my own personal opinions , the necropsy will provide the next factual update. Regardless of what the necropsy shows, the bottom line is that a little kid we all cared about very much, is gone. Aloha, DB